The New York Times is reports that the Department of Homeland Security is reportedly trying to subpoena personal information from platforms such as Discord, Reddit, Google, & Meta on anonymous internet users who are allegedly tracking ICE agent movements or criticizing ICE as it carries outs it operations.
Discord has seen its share of subpoenas from publishers looking for detailss of users who have shared confidential information or pirated games such as Arc Raiders. Back in 2024, Discord argued that user privacy was legally protected by the constitution.
The New York Times reports that Google, Meta, and Reddit have complied with “some” of the requests.
“When we receive a subpoena, our review process is designed to protect user privacy while meeting our legal obligations,” a Google spokesperson told the New York Times. “We inform users when their accounts have been subpoenaed, unless under legal order not to or in an exceptional circumstance. We review every legal demand and push back against those that are overbroad.”
It is not known at this time if Discord has done the same. The company wrote that complying with the order could violate its users’ “decisions to remain anonymous, an aspect of their freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.”
This also comes following Discord’s new age verification measures for all users.
People have been flooding Reddit with sharing information about ICE movements and facilities in their communities as people have allegedly disappeared off the streets. ICE has reportedly been using facial scanning technology and other surveillance tools to allegedly doxx people they don’t like in real time.